Saturday, a bike swap will be held at the Armory Bike Union, and the Smart Commute Leader Ride will pass by it May 20.

“We want to introduce the space to more people that use bikes,” said Scott TenBrink, executive director of the Fitness Council of Jackson. “This is going to be the living room for bikes in this community.”

The shop, which The Enterprise Group of Jackson is letting the Fitness Council use for free, opened about a year ago.

TenBrink said it started attracting more attention after the Grand

River ArtsWalk opened in the fall, and he hopes the bike swap and the upcoming ride draw even more attention.

Volunteers use the shop to recycle donated bikes for low-income people who need transportation. It also has open hours Mondays and Wednesdays so people can use the shop’s tools, learn to fix their own bikes and meet and share ideas with other bikers.

Shop manager Corey Grazul said he has a core group of about 10 volunteers. He said they have distributed about 75 bikes during the past year, including several to people staying at the Jackson Interfaith Shelter.

“It’s really fun to catch a glimpse of the bikes we’ve worked on out in the community,” Grazul said. “It makes us feel good about the mission.”

The bike union also advocates for bike trails and lanes, and it hosts classes, rides and workshops.

More details

The Armory Bike Union, 100 Armory Court, is open from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. The union will host its first bike swap from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call the Fitness Council of Jackson at 990-9798.